Son Charged In Elderly Woman’s Death After House Fire

ROCKVILLE, Md. (WNEW/AP) — An 82-year-old woman died after being rescued from a fire in her Rockville home Thursday, and now her 57-year-old son has been charged with her murder.

Police say Hani Haleem lived with his mother, Somaya Haleem. When detectives interviewed him, he admitted to stabbing his mother multiple times. Investigators believe he then started a fire in the home.

Montgomery County Fire spokesman Pete Piringer says crews arrived early Thursday morning to find heavy smoke coming from the home. Hani Haleem was standing outside, and told crews that his mother was still inside.

Piringer says firefighters found the woman on the second floor and had to rescue her out a window and down a ladder. They took her to a local hospital with extremely critical injuries. The woman died shortly after. An examination of her body revealed stab wounds in addition to injuries caused by the fire.

The victim’s body was sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy. The findings of the autopsy are pending.

Hani Haleem has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond. He will appear at a bond review hearing in Rockville at 1 p.m. Friday.

Two firefighters were also treated for heat exhaustion after responding to the fire.